Work Text:
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, stranger!”
The merchant seemed especially amused as Leon and Luis walked into the small side room, no doubt completely ruining the plush red carpet underneath them. They had escaped the hive, barely, with more than one instance of being pinned to the soil by a grotesque insect which left them pretty filthy, despite Leon’s best attempts to wipe the dust off of himself.
Luis, who had been not-so quietly celebrating the fact that they were no longer surrounded by ‘those nasty devils’, acknowledged the merchant, moving to lean against a cherry oak desk as he let Leon carry out whatever business he had. He shouldn’t be surprised that he knew of the strange merchant, Luis seemed to know his way around the village and in no doubt ran past the man several times on whatever ‘vacation’ he was taking here. Still, he should ask him about it, though knowing Luis he’d get some vague half-joke as an answer, and then a pointed tease if he pushed him for more.
The merchant eyed them slightly more than usual, making Leon uneasy as he browsed his wares, resisting the urge to snap at one of the few friendly (ish) faces in this village.
“If you don’t mind my saying so, stranger, you two look like you could use the facilities.”
Luis stopped fiddling with the clutter on the desk to look over, interest piqued.
“What do you mean?”
The merchant laughed, though Leon couldn’t tell what was so funny.
“Nothing like that! But me and the lads, well this castle’s gone to the dogs as they say. We have procured a washroom, if you so desire. Finest bath you’ll see, nothing like that drab in the village.”
“Sure.”
Luis answered for him and Leon shot him a glare for his carelessness, and Luis countered with a smile.
“I don’t know what’s in that hive but I don’t want it getting inside any wounds. We’ll be quick.”
Leon acquiesced, because those bugs really did smell of something damp and acidic, slime clinging onto his gloves when he shoved countless of those beasts off his body, like snot. And a bath sounded almost too good to be true. He had the feeling that if he stood by to rest anywhere else, he’d collapse and simply not move ever again. Not so much as die as expire. A bath could really restore some semblance of spirit.
“Where is it?”
The merchant grinned, or Leon assumed he did as the corners of his eyes wrinkled, and threw up a hand in front of his face.
“Forty-five spinels, stranger.”
“ Fourty-five?!?”
“Deal!” Said Luis quickly, glancing at Leon as he stared incredulously. For forty five spinels the water better be liquid gold.
Luis looked at Leon pointedly.
“What, seriously? You’re not going to help?”
“I haven’t exactly had the time to gather resources, if you forget, I’ve been tied up in a cellar for the better part of a day.”
“You’re a horrible date.”
Leon dug into his pockets, forking over the forty five spinels that the merchant counted over very carefully. He wondered if the rocket launcher on display would be used if he’d tried to cheat the merchant out of anything. Not something he wanted to find out.
The merchant moved aside, gesturing to a maroon door decorated with gold metal, as sickly ostentatious as everything in this dreaded castle. Luis walked forward, holding it open for Leon as they stepped into a wide room.
It resembled a slightly less impressive roman bath. The ceiling was high, beige with painted gold floral patterns, with a chandelier that illuminated a tiled floor. The bath was more like a small rectangular pool, the water clean (from what he could tell), and deeper at one end. It was rimmed with marble and gold trimmings. Even from where he stood, a few steps away from the edge, he could feel the warmth from the water, and it was tempting. He heard a click, and he saw Luis turning the lock on the door.
“Doubt he would intrude but.” He shrugged and turned to look around, as unimpressed with the shiny decor as Leon was.
“Ah, there’s towels.”
They were rolled on a bench attached to the wall, along with a small basket of what appeared to be soap.
Luis unzipped the rest of his jacket, shrugging it off and setting it to the side. He cocked his head at Leon, apparently entertained by his staring.
“Come on, Sancho, we don’t have all night.”
✭✭✭
Leon sighed as the warm water alleviated an ache deep within his bones, an ache that had persisted no matter how much he had rested, or whatever weird spray given by the government he used. Sure, it did help his cuts heal quicker, but it did nothing to combat the weariness or residual tenderness in his muscles after being thrown around, struck and pounded against rock and generally beaten in every which way. But this was pleasant, soothing. It was hard to let himself be vulnerable, his weapons folded away along with his clothes, but he couldn’t hold on to his ever-present hypervigilance for much longer, as the gentle water coaxed him into a state of fragile peace.
He lowered himself in the water, leaning carefully against the smooth porcelain of the bath. ‘Bath’ was rather an understatement, it was ornate and huge ,more like a small swimming pool, with marble steps to match. He couldn’t keep his eyes from fluttering closed, the water reaching just below his collarbone. The water was perfect, clean and warm, soothing him beyond belief. Maybe it was a mirage, a sweet dream of hope as he died in a puddle out there in the village somewhere, a last vision before the blackness.
“Not bad, eh?”
Luis had gotten in, settling a few feet beside him, and Leon’s quick glance became much more than quick as his eyes trailed onto his chest, the thin pale scar weaving through a light smattering of dark curly hair. He had felt that chest under his hand a few times (more than he should be proud of, given the circumstances) and under his tongue, and pressed against his back–but that was besides the point. For some reason the thought, the sight of Luis next to him, naked as he was, made him more flustered than he would like to admit. He should be used to this. He would get used to this.
Would? He needed to stop imagining a future past this, past this dark, bleak hole that he was stuck in. It would distract him, it would get him hoping. He was here to do a job, no use worrying about things as trivial as a future. Just one step in front of the other was more than enough. Just keep moving.
Luis relaxed, leaning back and Leon had trouble tearing his eyes away from his neck, his slightly open lips, the small sound of contentment that left them, his dark eyelashes resting on his tan face. He couldn’t stop looking at him, it was indulgent, overly so. But how could he possibly stop? For all intents and purposes, Luis should look rough, even more so than Leon considering he had been thrown in a mouldy cellar with damp dripping from the ceiling, left there in a bag for what might have been hours before being freed. And he did, slightly, there was a bruise on his shoulder, evidence of multiple scrapes and near misses on his arms, and no doubt there would be more underneath the surface of the water that lapped against his chest. But still,there was something . His hair, those honey-brown eyes, even the faint scar that ran across his cheek. How could Leon ever look away?
Well, Luis opening his eyes and meeting his gaze was one way– childish shame crawling up his neck at being caught staring.
“Do I look that bad?” He joked, and Leon was grateful that he hadn’t teased him about anything else, even though the true intention of his gaze was plain as day to anyone.
“I probably look worse.”
“I spent six hours in a cellar but yeah, somehow I think I got off a bit lighter.”
“...Thanks.”
Luis moved, and Leon watched, the bath was large but not massively so, it wasn’t exactly a pool, though it was built like one.
“Where are you going?”
Luis reached to the side, and held up a container. Shower gel.
“Don’t know about you, but if I am going to die today I’d rather not smell like something that crawled out of a donkey’s ass.”
He squirted some onto his palm, but seemed to think again, pausing as he stood in the shallow end of the bath, the water up to his mid-thigh. Leon pointedly tried not to look any closer at that particular area, instead moving his gaze to the gaudy oil paintings that lined the wall.
“Hey, I have an idea, come here.”
Leon gave him a look but complied, walking closer until Luis urged him to step even more close, until they were much too near each other to maintain any hope that this wouldn’t end up as it always did.
“What.”
Luis looked at him as if he was daft, as if it was extremely obvious, as if the fact that Leon wasn’t psychic and out of the loop was amusing.
“You guys say it all the time. ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’?”
He was beginning to catch on.
“It’s not literal.”
“Oye! I know that. It’s just–”
He gestured to the two of them, to the grime that coated them, the crust of blood that gathered in the scrapes they had collected on the way here. Leon especially, felt as if he’d never get rid of whatever biohazard gathered under his nails. If everything here didn’t smell downright putrid, he might have been more than a little aware that he probably smelled the same. It was a bit easier to tell in this castle.
“Thought we could…”
Leon sighed, not at Luis, but at himself, at how he hadn’t even considered ‘no’ as an option.
“Sure.”
Luis smiled at him, and it seemed light, unmarred from the disaster that surrounded them.
Leon turned around, understanding that he was to be first. He didn’t expect Luis to come so close, to almost embrace him, his chest pressing against his back, his lips near his ear. And he didn’t expect to be so affected, to feel the heat rise in his cheeks and the air leave his lungs
“Relax, you’re fine.” It was a murmur near his ear, gentle and subtle, coaxing Leon to almost trust it, something incredibly unbelievable and foolish. And he found himself falling for it, half agreeing to a shaky form of belief in this man. He would pay for this later. But later was a luxury, may as well throw away the thin pretence of control he had clung onto stubbornly thus far.
“Easy for you to say.” But even Leon could hear that there was no bite in his own words.
Luis’s hands were gentle, they always were, and careful, so careful as they traced up his body, his arms, leaving suds in their wake, and Leon couldn’t help but tense, and he noticed, mumbling reassurances that he clung to like a lifeline.
“Where did you get this one?”
He almost missed it, the words only barely making it’s way past the trance Luis’s voice had lulled him in. He looked down, seeing Luis’s fingers tracing a pale line from his inner left elbow to his bicep. It was faint, shallow, you’d only see it if you were close, and it had been easily obscured by the dirt and dried blood he had picked up. Perfectly straight, done fast and sharp,
“Training.” A remnant from those knife fights, one of the stubborn few that refused to fade. Thinking about it too much always brought on some weird inner conflict that he didn’t want to deal with. Not now, not ever.
“I guess this one's from then too.” It was more to himself than to Leon, as his hand moved, finding an even thinner line etched across his breastbone, ending in the middle of his surgery scars. It was more jagged, certainly not a result of his mentor’s precise, sharpened strikes.
He dithered, and Luis noticed, he was sure he had noticed. They both stilled, both aware that he had breached some sort of boundary, poked at a wound.
“It’s from before that. Nothing special.” He didn’t feel like divulging about Racoon City, about dragging himself across bloodied tile as flakey wet hands dragged him into darkness, under the shutter as he struggled helplessly, knowing his end wouldn’t be quick or pleasant or dignified. It wasn’t a serious injury, he had had worse in his pre- Racoon City life but he had an awareness for the few scars that resulted from that particular incident. Even the ones that had faded, he could see them somehow, invisible lines in his skin.
“Sorry.” Luis kissed the side of his head, and his hand lingered before moving downwards, onto his stomach, lathering soap slowly on his skin, using his nails lightly to scrub off the blood and grime.
“It’s fine.”
“Still.”
“Not like you to be apologetic.”
“You talk about me like I’m some sort of criminal.”
Leon held his tongue, this wasn’t a moment he wanted to ruin, this wasn’t the time to bring up anything outside of the fragile bubble they had built around themselves.
Luis’s hand went southwards, hesitating slightly, so Leon guided his hand down, between his legs, trying to keep his thoughts from wandering. This was just companionship, they were just having a bath and helping each other out, this wasn’t going to escalate like all the other times.
Well it most likely was, but Leon had to keep some pretence of self-control, some sort of dignity. Stick his head in the sand, so to speak.
After a moment, Luis stepped back, and Leon felt the absence immediately, even when it was replaced by his hands smoothing across his shoulders, pressing into knots and aches that had followed him across the village, pressure lightening as he swiped over tender skin where in no doubt bruises were blossoming.
“They really did a number on you.”
It was a neutral sentence, almost, a sour hint of something– guilt? Why would he be guilty? He felt uneasy, with his back to him, unable to see Luis’s expressions, the brief flashes of what he was feeling across his eyes. Yes his own face was also hidden, and to face him was to face the same scrutiny he imparted onto Luis, but he was willing to sacrifice that just to see him.
He turned around, taking Luis by surprise as he faced him.
“I never get to see your face.” The words tumbled out, in the wrong way. He was talking about sex, but here they were taking a bath– but he hoped Luis would understand.
Luis gave him one of his lop-sided smiles, the ones that rested easy on his face, in no doubt rehearsed to hell and back, it must have been a reflex at this point.
“You can look at it anytime you like.”
Leon huffed. “ You know what I mean.”
“Once again, I never took you for a romantic.”
Neither did he, if anyone was going to get attached he thought it would be the self proclaimed ‘ladies man’. Not that this was romance, he wasn’t delusional.
Was he?
“Well it’s your turn anyway, it’s easier like this. Can I?”
Luis looked to the side quickly, veneer showing the smallest of cracks before smoothing over, back to the unperturbed exterior he was so good at wearing. He wanted to peel it back, to undress him fully. He was one to talk, but he felt that Luis’s facade ran even deeper than his own shield of gruffness. Sometimes he looked at Leon as if he’d seen this all before, amused with his manner as if he could read him plainly. It made him feel exposed, vulnerable.
Leon reached to the side where the shower gel lay, pumping a few squirts into his palm, before he started to lather Luis’s chest, feeling slightly nervous for whatever reason.
He traced the thin scar on his chest, pressing lightly against the slightly raised texture, upwards to where it tapered off, right above his heart. He searched, and found, Luis’s heartbeat, a gentle thrum underneath his palm.
They were close, not that that was new but this wasn’t a frenzied, hushed moment in a corner, his trousers haphazardly shoved down to his knees, mouths rough enough to catch onto teeth. There never really was time to stop, and there certainly wasn’t much of it now, but it was just a bit more, it was just enough. He was owed at least this, right?
Luis’s heart was steady, and Leon resisted the over-sentimental urge to lean his head against it. Instead he opted for bending his knees slightly, dipping his hand in the water and rinsing away the suds.
“You okay?”
Luis’s hand rested in between his shoulder blades, warm and sure. He didn’t apply any pressure but Leon moved closer anyway, replacing his hand with lips, his hands moving to Luis’s sides, slightly less gentle–but not at all firm as they held him. He pressed a kiss onto the scar too, and another one, unable to hold himself back.
“Not really an answer.” But it was good humoured, the hand on his upper back stroking softly, tracing a pattern Leon couldn’t decipher. He looked up, honey brown eyes meeting his own. They looked warmer up close, the colour more vibrant, more deep and inviting– if that were even possible.
“I said so before, I’m fine.”
“You seem distracted.” His other hand went to his right shoulder, feeling along the faint smattering of moles that led up to the side of Leon’s neck, to his cheek, which he cupped, and Leon leant into it, allowing his eyes to close, half out of comfort and half to avoid the other man's searching gaze, knowing he’d betray himself so pathetically, so easily.
“So do you.”
Luis chuckled softly, but Leon swore there was a twinge of something, some shadow of apprehension.
“I mean, what isn’t there to think about?”
He was avoiding the question, but Leon didn’t push further, after all, he had done the same.
His hand trailed down his stomach, gently feeling the subtle softness underneath the skin. He wanted to map every inch of his body, know it by touch alone. Seeing it wasn’t near enough.
He washed him slowly, taking his time, perhaps more than necessary. But he didn’t want this to end. He feared that as soon as he removed his hand, he’d forget, the feel of Luis fading like a distant memory.
Luis kept his hands on Leon, holding him gently, holding him close. There was a thickness between, a lot of words that they both desperately wanted to say that couldn’t quite make themselves audible, filling up the space between them, invisible but keenly felt.
Something pulled him out of the haze he had found himself in, something poking his hip.
“Sorry.” Luis sounded sheepish, it was endearing. “All the touching–”
“No worries.”
“You can ignore it.”
The unspoken unless? May as well have been a yell, the way the two understood it almost instinctively. It was laughably routine at this point, the way Leon knew to wrap a hand around the hardening shaft, gently pumping it, watching the crease of Luis’s brow as he inhaled. His cock hardened as Leon thumbed the slit, pushing the foreskin back slowly, revealing the head.
He applied a bit more pressure, the hand resting on Leon’s back curling into a fist. Precome bubbled out the slit, making the movement easier, slick. Leon sped up, almost without thinking, responding to Luis’s quickened breaths, the slight twitch in his thighs, the rapid lick of his lip, the slight tense as he kept himself from fucking himself into Leon’s fist.
Leon suddenly stopped, hand at the base.
“Wait, you probably shouldn’t come in the bath.”
Luis blinked at him, snapping out of a half-daze.
“I suppose you’re right.” There was a plea hidden in that sentence, and Leon really liked it when Luis pleaded.
“Hey, didn’t say we were stopping.”
Leon stepped out of the bath, hoping that he wouldn’t slip on the tile, quickly reaching for a scarlet towel, unrolling the plush material and setting it down after giving himself a quick dry, impatient and hurried. He added another one on top, cushioning the hard floor. By the time he had sat down, Luis was right behind him, dark brow quirked in interest.
“You s-”
“Yea I’m sure.” Leon leant back on his elbows, “ Dry yourself off though, water is terrible lube.”
“Yes sir.” Luis muttered, picking up a cream towel and haphazardly drying himself, clearly as eager as Leon was to start. Leon took the time to push a finger into his slick cunt, not at all surprised to find that he was already wet, pumping it slowly to the base knuckle. Luis seem drawn to the movement as he kneeled between his legs, biting his lip as Leon pulled out.
He pushed Leon down gently, the towels soft and luxurious under his skin, and he climbed on top of him, taking a moment to smooth a few golden strands out of Leon’s face, the touch fleeting and almost automatic. As if they weren’t just ‘releasing tension’ or ‘having weird adverse emotional reactions to fear’ or whatever frail excuse swam around Leon’s brain.
Luis was slow, taking his time as he lined up his cock, the head pushing against his entrance, his breaths warm on Leon’s face, face flushed and pretty, he really was very pretty.
“By tomorrow, if you can.”
Luis chuckled, making no move to continue, lifting a hand to cup his cheek, thumb moving softly across the skin. Their eyes met, there was no were else to look after all, and Leon felt a knot in his stomach– someone more sentimental may have called it butterflies.
“Fine, fine, I just wanted to enjoy the moment. No harm in that. But whatever you ask.”
Not knowing how to reply, Leon reached up to run his hand through soft coal waves, slightly damp at the tips from the water, and Luis closed his eyes briefly as Leon stroked his hair.
Leon bit his lip as Luis pushed his cock in slowly, breathing vague reassurances as he bottomed out, hand never leaving his cheek. He leant forward, pressing his forehead against Leon’s, and Leon couldn’t help but hold him close, wrapping his arm across Luis’s back and pulling him nearer, if he even could. Luis kissed the corner of his mouth, and he moved his head to catch his lips again, the hand in his hair holding tightly as Luis moved his hips, slowly but purposely, almost withdrawing completely before pushing in again, lips swallowing Leon’s muffled moan.
They would separate only for the briefest of moments, neither of them wanting to spend more than second apart as Luis fucked him, slow and deep, his hand now gripping his hip, and Leon hoped that he’d dig his nails in, leave small indents he could look at later, evidence that he’d been there.
Luis pulled away from the kiss, panting as a string of spit broke between them,and Leon felt hazy, warm, wanting to pull him back despite the need of air– his touch felt more urgent at the moment than something as trivial as oxygen. Luis did kiss him again but on his neck this time, his head settling into the crook of his neck as he sucked a hickey on his skin, licking over the mark as his pace became slightly faster, more sure.
“That better be below my collar.”
“Want me to stop then?”
God no. “ I didn’t say that.”
The next kiss was rougher, a bite, the pressure of teeth catching him by surprise, a shuddering gasp leaving his lips as Luis mumbled some reassurance, some sort of praise for not holding back, that he wanted to hear him.
“Do you ever shut up?”
“Why would I, when you’re so responsive?”
“I’ll show you responsive.”
Luis laughed at the rebuttal, leaving an open mouthed kiss on his jaw line as he thrust into him, slightly breathy as he nuzzled the side of his face.
“That’s what I’m counting on. Come on, Sanchito, let me hear you.””
His voice was smooth, silky and sweet the way it enveloped Leon and Luis kissed him again, licking into his mouth as he fucked him, holding onto his hair tight enough to sting in just the right way. His back curved, pressing his body into Luis, who hissed a curse against his lips.
“Argh, Leon–”
Luis moaned, his thrusts becoming irregular, sloppy, and Leon gripped his shoulders, digging in as Luis responded in kind at the sensation, hissing through his teeth as Leon dragged his nails down his back.
“Sorry–” he breathed, uneven as his eyes met Leon’s. “ You’re hurt, am I going too fast–”
“I’m fine, harder, please Luis–” He sounded dreadfully needy but he didn’t care, he was needy, he needed this, craved this more than anything else. He didn’t bother waiting for a reply, pulling Luis towards him and kissing him fervently, though in such a state it was hardly a kiss rather than a desperate collision, mouths open and moans unrestrained. Luis thrust into Leon, the head of his cock pushing against a spot inside him that made his head swim, made Luis’s name tumble out in a wanton babble, his composure shattering as he neared his climax.
Luis came with a broken groan, pulling out and coming on Leon’s stomach, warm and thick, eyes squeezed shut as he panted, the warmth emanating off him almost palpable. His black curls stuck to his forehead, the longer waves framing his face.
“Wait, shit, let me–”
Before Leon could complain or offer any sort of remark, Luis pushed two of his fingers into his cunt, his palm grinding into his clit, and Leon wasn’t far off, his back arching as Luis kissed him right beside his ear, murmuring about how good he was being, how he took him so well , and how…how–
Luis added a third finger and Leon came, clenching around Luis’s fingers, gripping onto the towel beneath him, white knuckled as he came undone, a last wordless plea leaving his lips as Luis fucked him through his orgasm, the sound wet and loud, the slide of his fingers laughaly easy as his arousal coated them.
He whimpered as the sensitivity flooded to his cunt, and Luis pulled his fingers out, bending over to press a kiss on his panting lips, one that he barely registered as he settled back into his own body.
“I think we’ll have to bathe again.” Luis said quietly, dark eyes flitting to the mess he made on Leon’s stomach.
“I don’t care, it was hot.”
Luis gave him a quick, broad grin, one that made his stomach churn and heat up, one that made him avert his gaze. They were both out of breath, the afterglow perceptible even in the bleakness of their circumstances. A small glimmer of what he didn’t want to describe as hope.
“A compliment? I’ll take it.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
“I don’t know, Sancho, I quite like it. I think I will.”